This is a film about a child who experiences music in everything around him. He uses this ability to hear the music around him to help him find his parents. He is an orphan and never has met his parents, but he holds firm to the belief that the music will lead him to his parents. He leaves his orphanage in search of his parents and through the movie develops his musical abilities into something more tangible than a general sense.
I would use this film to encourage students to seek out the music that exists in the world around them. In nature, and in inhabited places, sound is produced in patterns that could be heard as music. I would challenge the students to hear the music around them and to be interested in what I call the music of life.
Sheridan, Kristen, Dir. August Rush. Perf. Highmore, Freddie. Warner Bros.: 2007, Film.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Occasional Paper
A World Without Music
As I recently watched the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, I was struck by the realization of how much music is a part of the movie. In this occasional paper I will discuss how music can affect our emotions and influence the way our minds perceive our environment.
Our society it seems often takes for granted just how much music we hear on a daily basis. There are many movies that the only way viewers know what is going is through listening to the music. In addition most people listen to the radio all the time while driving to and fro. It could almost be argued that human beings are inherently musical if only based on their love of listening to music.
Music can affect our emotions in ways that many scholars cannot even begin to explain. Adding an intense piece in a minor key such as “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana can vastly influence the way we perceive what s happening. The addition of that particular piece can provide the feeling of a great evil attacking.
People who watched The King’s Speech would have experienced firsthand what the power of music can do. The scene depicting the war speech that was delivered by King George VI declaring war on Germany is a prime example of this. The words themselves are powerful enough, but the addition of music behind it really drives the point across. Especially with a very recognizable piece such as Beethoven’s 7th symphony movement II. This piece, with its minor key signature and ever pushing forward tempo sets the stage for the ensuing war.
Music can really change the whole mood of a scene in a movie. Whether the music is intended to be ironic such as the waltz scene from Batman, or intended to set an ominous tone like the pieces mentioned before, it can really affect how we perceive what we watch, and the study of the tonalities of the music can help us to understand that.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Strategy 3: Admit Slip
The admit slip would be a simple one paragraph writing assignment that students would have to turn in each day. The students would be assigned readings outside of class from various professional literature and they would have to illustrate their reading comprehension through these admit slips. The prompts would be very simple like, "What is your opinion of the music choices for the marching band show in 'American Band?' Do you think our High School Band could do a show like that?" The students would have written their slip while at home and would use this to show that they understood the reading assignment.
Strategy 2: Know, Want, Learn
This is a strategy for engaging diverse cultures where I will have the students say what they know and what they want to know before I teach it to them, and then after the unit is finished I will have the students tell me what they have learned. Students all have different ideas about the history of music depending on their background, and this would allow me to see how their background had affected their viewpoint. This is most appropriate during discussions of music history, as this is one of the subjects in music where students seem to have the most misconceptions. It is a valuable tool for me as the teacher to know what lessons should be structured around and it is a valuable tool for the students as it challenges them to think critically about their learning.
I would present this to my students by introducing the activity and then giving the students a broad prompt like, "Beethoven, tell me what you know and what you want to know." Then I would compile with a group discussion a list of what the students had said on something like a trifold. Once the unit on Beethoven was done, we would go back over the list.
I would present this to my students by introducing the activity and then giving the students a broad prompt like, "Beethoven, tell me what you know and what you want to know." Then I would compile with a group discussion a list of what the students had said on something like a trifold. Once the unit on Beethoven was done, we would go back over the list.
Strategy 1: Exit Slips
Given that band class is a primarily performance driven subject getting students to write in the class is a very tricky thing. It is hard for a student to just set aside a tuba and write something, there is a high probability that something could get damaged. Therefore it is best to work in writing at either the beginning or end of class. The exit slip could be as simple as a question like, "What was the style of the piece that we sightread today? What did the piece make you think of?"
This would be a good assessment tool as it could be used to see whether or not the students understood what was covered during the day. It is important that the music classroom be more than jsut a place where students play their instruments, but also that it be a place where students are challenged to think critically about music. This would be used at the end of class. Students would pack up their instruments and then would be given the prompt for the exit slip. The assignment would be graded based on completion and on effort. Effort being defined simply as whether or not it is evident that the student put thought into his/her work.
This would be a good assessment tool as it could be used to see whether or not the students understood what was covered during the day. It is important that the music classroom be more than jsut a place where students play their instruments, but also that it be a place where students are challenged to think critically about music. This would be used at the end of class. Students would pack up their instruments and then would be given the prompt for the exit slip. The assignment would be graded based on completion and on effort. Effort being defined simply as whether or not it is evident that the student put thought into his/her work.
Text 2: Musicophilia
Musicophilia by: Oliver Sacks
This is a very interesting book that explores at the surface some of the relationships between music and the brain. The book covers topics such as brain disorders cured by music and brain disorders caused by music, how people are affected emotionally by music, why music uses more of our brain when we listen to it than language does, and many more.
This is a very advanced book, heavy with many psychology references. This would not be a book that I would have students struggling to read attempt. I would use this to challenge my uppermost students. It would push their vocabulary and would challenge them to read at a higher level. This book would get students to think about music with new applications. This book is a surface level foray into the fields of music cognition and music therapy, two fields that could inspire students to go into music as a career.
This is a very interesting book that explores at the surface some of the relationships between music and the brain. The book covers topics such as brain disorders cured by music and brain disorders caused by music, how people are affected emotionally by music, why music uses more of our brain when we listen to it than language does, and many more.
This is a very advanced book, heavy with many psychology references. This would not be a book that I would have students struggling to read attempt. I would use this to challenge my uppermost students. It would push their vocabulary and would challenge them to read at a higher level. This book would get students to think about music with new applications. This book is a surface level foray into the fields of music cognition and music therapy, two fields that could inspire students to go into music as a career.
Text 1: American Band
American Band by: Kristen Lane
This book is a survey through the marching band season as observed by a reporter who had not previously been exposed to the activity. While many people when they learn of the world of marching band and the great lengths high schools go to for competitions have the tendency to role their eyes, but Kristen Lane is able to keep a distance and observe it for the value it holds. She looks specifically at the lives of 7 different students and shows how their lives are affected by their time spent with the band.
Students while reading this book will get a better appreciation for the work that they are putting forth. They can often get so caught up in the routine of rehearsal that they loose track of what they are actually doing. By seeing what similar groups are doing they will understand better the value behind all the practices. This book would not be particularly challenging for students, so it would be a good way to get students to start thinking about how they could read more in the academic world of music.
This book is a survey through the marching band season as observed by a reporter who had not previously been exposed to the activity. While many people when they learn of the world of marching band and the great lengths high schools go to for competitions have the tendency to role their eyes, but Kristen Lane is able to keep a distance and observe it for the value it holds. She looks specifically at the lives of 7 different students and shows how their lives are affected by their time spent with the band.
Students while reading this book will get a better appreciation for the work that they are putting forth. They can often get so caught up in the routine of rehearsal that they loose track of what they are actually doing. By seeing what similar groups are doing they will understand better the value behind all the practices. This book would not be particularly challenging for students, so it would be a good way to get students to start thinking about how they could read more in the academic world of music.
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